


Oranges, A Warm Summer's Breeze, and Home

by pbandjsandwich



Series: Souyo Week 2020 babey [6]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Confessions, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Hoodies, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda, M/M, Scents & Smells, Souji's parents suck, souji shouldve been able to stay in Inaba, souyoweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24930301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pbandjsandwich/pseuds/pbandjsandwich
Summary: Souji already misses Inaba, and he’s barely been in Tokyo an hour. It wasn’t fair that he had to leave. That he had to go back to an empty apartment, to parents who were never home, to parents who used him, and a new school of people who don’t know what he’s been through.souyo week day 6: scent
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji, SouYo
Series: Souyo Week 2020 babey [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796347
Comments: 3
Kudos: 88
Collections: Souyoweek 2020





	Oranges, A Warm Summer's Breeze, and Home

Souji didn’t want to leave. In the short year he was there, Inaba had become his home. The only place he’d ever felt like he truly belonged. As he watched his friends and family grow farther and farther away from the train window, tears slowly started to run down his cheeks. He’s leaving behind the best thing that’s ever happened to him. When the platform was no more than a speck in the distance, Souji sat back in his seat. Closing his eyes, he drifts off to sleep.

He wakes up hours later to a station announcement. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he grabs his bag from the overhead. Stepping off the train, a rush of emotion hits him. It hadn’t been long since he’d been in Tokyo, but it felt like forever. It all felt wrong. A sense of unfamiliarity flowed throughout him as he walked through the busy streets. Compared to Inaba, everything was so much bigger. 

Dreading walking into his parent’s apartment again, Souji stood outside the door, counting. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ...10._ Upon reaching 10, he flung open the door. Duffel bag in hand, he raced quickly and quietly to his bedroom. His parents weren’t home, and wouldn’t be for another two days. _Couldn’t even make it home to greet their own son._ Setting his bag down, he flopped onto his bed. He didn’t want to unpack, knowing if he did, the reality of the situation would set in. Instead, he settled for glaring at all the boxes already in his room. They had arrived days prior. 

He can still remember how hard it was for him to pack. A part of him wanted to leave everything there, exactly how it was, so when he came back it would all be the same. But the rational part of him had won out, and he called Yosuke over to help him. Though it probably hadn’t been necessary, Souji had wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. They had gotten all of the things he was taking with him packed in only an hour. Leaving them the rest of the day to spend with each other. Not wanting to be in his empty room anymore, Yosuke had suggested they take a walk to the Samegawa. Or at least, that’s what Souji thought was going to happen.

Yosuke had confessed to him. Down by the riverbank, in the same place they had their fight. He had broken down when they got there, spilling his heart to Souji. Yosuke kissed him that day, arms looped around Souji’s back, hands in his hair. They walked home together hand in hand, tear tracks still visible on Yosuke’s cheeks.

Souji already misses Inaba, and he’s barely been in Tokyo an hour. It wasn’t fair that he had to leave. That he had to go back to an empty apartment, to parents who were never home, to parents who used him, and a new school of people who don’t know what he’s been through. 

That night, Souji dreamt of a warm embrace and a rushing river.

Even though he really didn’t want to, Souji began unpacking his stuff. He started with the duffel bag, which was mostly empty. Other than a few changes of clothes, and his toiletries. 

But when he opened the first box, instead of the muted black of the old t-shirt that Souji had thought would be on top, there was a rumpled lump of orange fabric, which was revealed to be a very familiar hoodie when he pulled it out of the box by one sleeve. It was one of Yosuke’s hoodies, the one he’d been wearing when he’d helped Souji pack up his room, in fact. Tears begin streaming down his face. Souji lifts the hoodie out of the box, burying his face in it. It smells like oranges, a warm summer's breeze, and _home._ He stays like this for a while, before attempting to compose himself. Flipping over the hoodie, he sees something that was previously hidden. A little pink sticky note, stuck to the underside of the cloth. 

_I’ll miss u partner <3 _

That breaks him. Souji crumples into a ball on the floor, unable to stop sobbing. A good 10 minutes go by before he can even think again. When he finally manages to collect himself, he gets an idea. His parents arrive tomorrow, so he’ll have to leave early in the morning. He buys a one way ticket to Inaba, and repacks all of his things. This has to work. Before he goes to bed, he sends a text to Dojima, telling him about the plan. Dojima immediately agrees, telling Souji he’ll pick him up from the station tomorrow.

Souji gets up the next morning, and writes a note to his parents. Placing it on the dining room table, it feels like a weight has been lifted from him. He walks back to the train station. On the ride back to Inaba, Souji wonders if he did the right thing. But then he looks down at the hoodie he slipped on that morning, before leaving. All doubts leave his mind at the first sight of orange. He rests his head against the window as the gentle rumbling of the train lulls him into a peaceful sleep.

When he wakes, the conductor is announcing Yasoinaba Station is only minutes away. Souji grabs his duffel bag and moves to the other side of the train. It’s almost like coming here the first time, with the empty compartment and empty station. He meets Dojima outside, getting into the passenger seat of the car.

“Hi.”

Dojima turns his head to look at him. Ruffling Souji’s hair he smiles, “Hey there kiddo. It’s good to see you.”

Souji smiles back at him.

“It’s only been a day,” he pauses, his expression softening slightly, “but I missed you too, Uncle.”

The drive back to the house is silent. But it’s the good kind of silence. The kind that calms you, and steadies your nerves. Souji’s half expecting to be bombarded by Nanako when they get inside, but instead, the house is dark. 

“Nanako went to play at a friend’s house today. She should be home soon.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Souji had been excited to see his cousin, but he was fine with waiting. It would give him and his Uncle time to sort some things out.

“Now. Souji. Are you sure you want to do this? Because if you are, I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done.”

Dojima wasn’t an idiot. He had seen the signs of abuse in his nephew when he had first arrived in Inaba, and as much as he would like to believe his sister wouldn’t do something like that, he knew it was true. And when Souji had sent him a message asking about _this_ , well, he couldn’t deny it anymore. He cared about Souji, and wanted him to be safe.

“Yes. I’m sure. I don’t want to be a part of that family anymore, I don’t want to be treated like a doll, like I’m just there for their entertainment. I want to be here, with my _real_ family.”

“That’s all I needed to know. Now let’s get this paperwork filled out.”

“Alright.”

Nanako arrived home hours after they had finished filing everything out. Her face had lit up upon seeing Souji.

“Big Bro!”

She jumped into his embrace, squeezing her arms around his middle.

“What are you doing here?”

He smiles down at her.

“I decided I’m not going back to the city.”

“Yay!”

The three of them spent that night redoing Souji’s room, and eating take-away. Souji had decided he was gonna surprise Yosuke tomorrow. His shift at Junes ended at 3, so all he had to do was show up after it was over.

When Souji woke the next morning, Dojima was arguing with someone on the phone. Souji’s parents, most likely. He listened for a while, barely able to make out any of the words. They sounded angry, and he was glad that he didn’t have to deal with them. Dojima hung up the phone, finally noticing Souji.

“Hm? Oh, good morning Souji.”

“Are my parents angry?”

Dojima nodded, motioning for Souji to sit.

“They seem to think they own you, and that they reserve the right to control your every move.”

His expression darkened.

“Souji. You should’ve said something sooner.”

“I know. But I was afraid too.”

“Well, as long as you’re safe now.”

Souji smiled softly, “Yeah. I am.”

After speaking with his Uncle for a bit longer, and getting the last of the adoption papers filled, he headed to the Samegawa to kill time. It was a little hard getting there, since he nearly ran into Yukiko on the way. Souji wasn’t quite ready to tell the rest of the team he was in Inaba again, in case something went wrong. The only exception being Yosuke. He _really_ wanted to see Yosuke again, but he had to wait. Souji spent the next few hours down by the riverbank, listening to the rushing water.

Before he knew it, it was almost 3, and Souji made his way to Junes. His plan was to wait near the back entrance, where Yosuke parks his bike. That way, if someone he knew was in Junes, they wouldn’t see him.

_One minute_ . _30 seconds. 15 seconds. Now!_ Yosuke walked through the door, right on time. At first, he didn’t notice Souji was there. But then he saw him standing, right next to his bike. Yosuke barreled into him, laughing happily.

“Souji! What are you doing here?”

But then Souji said the best thing Yosuke had heard all day.

"I'm not going," suddenly Souji had him pushed up against a wall, and was kissing him. It wasn't a gentle kiss either, it was hard and demanding. More of a smashing of faces together than a kiss, in all honesty.

"W-what?" he managed to stutter, utterly bewildered by the turn of events.

"Tell me you love me," Souji requested.

Now Yosuke definitely wasn’t expecting that, his face flushing a deep red. Souji was looking at him, his eyes filled with desperation and longing. For some reason Souji had come all the way back to Inaba, and the least Yosuke could do was grant this small request.

"I love you, Souji.”

Souji practically squeezed him to death in a hug, burying his face in the side of Yosuke's neck with a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Say it again," he repeated, voice muffled by Yosuke's shirt. Yosuke grinned, feeling warmth flow throughout him.

"I love you," he sighed, wrapping his arms around Souji in return.

_There’s that smell again_. Souji breathed in deeply. _O_ _ranges, a warm summer's breeze, and home._

 _Home_.

_He’s finally home._

**Author's Note:**

> One more day! I've had the idea for this fic in my head, ever since I finished the game for the first time. I always thought there should've been an ending where Souji got to stay in Inaba. This ended up being a tad bit heavier that i wanted, but it kind've took on a life of its own while I was writing it. Souji ended up getting adopted by Dojima, and living a happy life.
> 
> to see the drawing that goes along with this fic, check out my tumblr @ya-like-space


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